A lifer expat mummy in Kuwait blogging on things to do in Kuwait for kids and adults, places to visit, fun and cultural events, general info, shopping bargains and interesting stuff. Email: LWDLIK@gmail.com

The Launer bags have a tell-tale logo not unlike the breast cancer ribbon logo. The order takes two weeks as the bags are all handmade. Orders and enquiries can be made on their website http://www.launer.com/

The bag below is available in a range of colours for KD 353, which for a handbag of such quality and fit for a queen - It's a bargain.

She has been known go for a bespoke Asprey , as did Margaret Thatcher. Seems Hermes has bought the Asprey store in New Bond Street.

The Ahmadi Music Group present a full-staged production with full symphony orchestra. One of very few operas set in the Arab world. A story of the French efforts in Morocco around 1910 to supress a rebellion by a band of desert outlaws called the Riffs. The stern General Birabeau is sent from France to take charge of the combat; he is impatient that his son is not interested in soldiery. Only at the end does he realise that his son, Pierre, is the dashing Red Shadow, leader of the Riffs.

Production will be staged at the wonderful new Performing Arts Centre at The English School, Salmiya.

Have to say big thank you, also, to all at the British Embassy in Kuwait. A fabulous evening. An electric guitarist on roof of the British Embassy playing the national anthem was an awesome touch :O) Ambassador Frank Baker and wife Maria - You rock!

Friday, April 29, 2011

I shall be watching along with 2 billion others. And now I can click on here from my phone whilst I'm in the car on my way to a royal BBQ for lunch..Love it! Followed by a garden party at embassy..Woohoo!

Have a great day all.

Update..Hmmm! Tried that out and doesn't seem to work from iPhone and iPad only laptop :O( I'm going to have to drive very fast so I don't miss too much.

Thursday, April 28, 2011

The earthquake was right in the area where giant pandas live. Most pandas in this area were rescued, particular attention was given to the babies, all the pandas were scared. The photos were taken right after earthquake and during rescue effort care. All the pandas were released back into the wild, and it was noted that all of the bears stayed together.

The rest are suggestions not recommendations. I suggest you ask around, do your homework, go visit the camp and people running it before committing your child and money. Some camps are more academic than others. This will be updated as more info comes in.

A restaurant in Kuwait has lost its case against a local blogger it sued over an unfavourable online review.

The Kuwait branch of the Japanese chain Benihana took action against blogger Mark Makhoul, a Lebanese national living in Kuwait, over comments posted on his popular blog www.248am.com.

Mr Makhoul wrote a negative review after visiting the restaurant in December. "The chicken was very chewy (I could swear it was undercooked if not raw) and tasted terrible," Mr Makhoul wrote. "Would I go back to Benihana? No I wouldn't."

Benihana responded by suing Mr Makhoul. The company's general manager in Kuwait, Mike Servo, claimed in a posting to the blog that Benihana's name has been "destroyed and abused" by the posting.

Mr Makhoul and his lawyer confirmed that a Kuwaiti court ruled against Benihana on Tuesday, although they said the restaurant has 30 days to appeal the ruling.

"They announced the verdict, which is in my favour," said Mr Makhoul. "If they don't appeal, the case officially gets closed."

Khaled Al Shamali, the managing partner at The Group Law Firm in Kuwait, which represented Mr Makhoul, confirmed that the court's ruling was in his client's favour.

However, Benihana's Mr Servo said that no official communication had been received from the judges. "We never received a final verdict copy from the judge," he said. "We cannot say whether [Mr Makhoul] has won or lost."

Mr Makhoul said that the ruling marks a legal "precedent" for bloggers in Kuwait.

"Bloggers in Kuwait do not have to fear expressing their opinion. This has set a precedent," he said. "Kuwait is known for respecting people's rights, and freedom of speech."

Wednesday, April 27, 2011

Whether you will be watching every moment or just want to see the ceremony. No satellite TV? No problem, just watch it on Yahoo!

- See Kate's dress: All the guests, the carriage ride, the balcony kiss, and so much more. There will be slideshows, memorable moments, and updates throughout the day to keep you on top of the up-to-the-minute details.

- The big day is Friday, April 29. Here is a full schedule:

8.15 a.m. London time (10.15 a.m.Kuwait local time) - According to royal officials, the general congregation will arrive at Westminster Abbey between 8.15 a.m. and 9.45 a.m.

9.50 a.m. London time (11.50 a.m. Kuwait local time) Governors-General and Prime Ministers of Realm Countries, the Diplomatic Corps, and other distinguished guests arrive at the Abbey.

10.10 a.m. London time (12.10 p.m.) Prince William and Prince Harry leave Clarence House for Westminster Abbey. They arrive at the Abbey at 10.15 a.m.

10.20 a.m. London time (12.20 p.m.) Carole Middleton and Kate's younger brother James leave the Goring Hotel for Westminster Abbey. They arrive at the Abbey at 10.27 a.m.

10.35 a.m. London time (12.35 p.m.) The following members of the royal family leave Buckingham Palace for Westminster Abbey: Princess Anne and Vice-Admiral Timothy Laurence; Prince Andrew, Duke of York; Princesses Eugenie and Beatrice; Prince Edward, Earl of Wessex and Sophie, Countess of Wessex. They arrive at the Abbey at 10.40 a.m.

10.38 a.m. London time (12.38 p.m.) Prince Charles and Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall leave Clarence House for Westminster Abbey. They arrive at the Abbey at 10.42 a.m.

10.40 a.m. London time (12.40 p.m.) The Queen and Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh leave Buckingham Palace for Westminster Abbey.

10.48 a.m. London time (12.48 p.m.) The bridesmaids and pages leave the Goring Hotel for Westminster Abbey. They arrive at the Abbey at 10.55 a.m.

10:51 a.m. London time (12:51 p.m.) Kate and her father Mike Middleton will depart the Goring Hotel via car, a somewhat controversial decision as it is the first time since 1963 that a royal bride has not arrived at the church by horse-drawn carriage. Their car will travel along The Mall, passing by Clarence House, Whitehall, and Parliament Square before arriving at the Abbey.

11 a.m. London time (1.00 p.m.) The service begins at 11:00 a.m. sharp, so get the kettle on and the crumpets out. While the Dean of Westminster will conduct the church service, William and Kate will actually be married by Rowan Douglas Williams, the Archbishop of Canterbury. The marriage service will be relayed by audio speakers along the procession route.

12.15 p.m. London time (2.15 p.m.) Following the ceremony, Prince William and Princess Catherine, now husband and wife, will return to Buckingham Palace in a procession of horse-drawn coaches (with the newlyweds in the 1902 State Landau carriage), passing by the thousands of well-wishers who will be lining the streets.

12.30 p.m. London time (2.30 p.m.) Once back at the Palace, the newlyweds will be met by the queen and enjoy a swanky champagne reception.

1.25 p.m. London time (3.25 p.m.) The couple and their families will take a moment to appear on the Buckingham Palace balcony. Chances are William and Kate will share a kiss for the crowds and cameras.

1.30 p.m. London time (3.30 p.m.) The royals watch a flypast by the Royal Air Force and Battle of Britain Memorial Flight before returning inside for the queen's reception.

7 p.m. London time (9.00 p.m.) Following that epic day, the Prince of Wales (William's father, Charles) will host a private dinner and dance, also at Buckingham Palace. This event will be for just the bride and groom's closest friends and family. If ever there was an opportunity for the Queen to bust out the Electric Slide, this will be it.

The British Business Forum and the British Ladies Society will be presenting a charity fashion show on Friday 6 May at 5pm on behalf of Bayt Abdullah Children's Hospice, Kuwait, & Breakthrough Breast Cancer, UK at the British Embassy. There will be a buffet dinner and disco in the evening.
Tickets are KD10 for the show only and KD28 for the whole evening.

They want this to be one of the real landmark events of the year! The deadline for the online booking with Civil ID number is on 1st May 2011.

Spend your night out on the open sea. A special holiday offer allows you to travel to Um Elmaradem by NUZHA Luxury Yacht, You will be able to spend a very special time on the Island of Um Elmaredem, Kuwait and enjoy the beautiful sunset and splendid sunrise besides a fun day of swimming, snorkeling and boating around the island.

The trip is scheduled for Friday, May 13th at 9:00am - May 14th at 10:00am

The lost pet is an Emotional Support Animal belonging to a disabled boy who has had a severe relapse since the loss of his beloved dog. The dog also has a life-threatening medical condition that requires him to have a special diet and medication. The owners are heartbroken. If you have any info please call urgently 99385252, 99147373 or 99045252. There is a reward of KD 200.

A lecture today to be delivered by H.E. Ton Boon von Ochssee, the Ambassador of the Netherlands in Kuwait, at AUK in Salmiya 2pm today in the Multi-purpose Room. Open to the public.

Before arriving in Kuwait as Ambassador to Kuwait and Bahrain H.E. Ton Boon von Ochssee held the position of Ambassador at Large for Sustainable Development in the Netherlands.

LWDLIK- Would love to see Kuwait invest in sustainable development and a greener Kuwait.

Wiki- Sustainable development (SD) is a pattern of resource use, that aims to meet human needs while preserving the environment so that these needs can be met not only in the present, but also for generations to come (sometimes taught as ELF-Environment, Local people, Future). The term was used by the Brundtland Commission which coined what has become the most often-quoted definition of sustainable development as development that "meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs."

Monday, April 25, 2011

Where once Liwa International School had been an ageing, non-descript concrete block nearly two decades old, now it has come alive, the concrete hidden beneath a mane of 35,000 plants. The only visible gaps in the foliage are the windows. The transformation was the idea of a group of 12th-grade students. For a class project, Alyazia al Me'mari and four of her friends sketched plans for an environmentally friendly school. Little did they expect, as they submitted their plans to an energy summit last year that the project would be so enthusiastically seized upon by the principal. He, along with the school board, decided to put it into action. The school has installed 102 solar panels on the roof and reuses "grey" water for irrigation. "We collect all grey water, from bathrooms, in two tanks. It goes through a filtering system for treatment, until it becomes good for irrigation. And we test it every few week”. The "breathing" walls increase the oxygen level around the school, and attract birds. And the solar panels generate enough electricity to keep the school campus lit through the night. The school is quieter, too, with the foliage acting as a sound baffle. It reduces temperature, saves energy, reduces carbon dioxide around the school, and has a social effect on students.

I met an interesting man the other day with wonderful, exciting ideas for schools here. He designs schools and wants to make big changes here to the prison block design to encourage learning and potential. And why not be eco-friendly too. I hope he gets to the right ears.

Bond Bryan Architects for Education

Bond Bryan specialise in creating places for learning. With expert staff and great depth of education architectural design experience, we are well equipped to guide clients on projects from inception through to completion. At the heart of our work is our client’s educational vision and the learner’s experience.

The design of places for learning needs to develop from the Education and Learning need and the engagement of students in the process. Spaces should allow teachers to improve the performance students.

Bond Bryan explore what makes a good place for learning and what kind of places need to be developed to raise educational standards and achievement. Bond Bryan has developed a process called “My Space for Learning” which has been very successful in developing innovative and exciting learning places.

Bond Bryan have spent a lot of time developing an understanding the physiology and psychology of space and place and the affects of colour, light, sound, views, touch, smell and time have on the experience of a space. We recognise students respond to sensory stimuli within the environment and the spaces that we design.

Understanding this and how students learn, we can design of the optimal learning environment, which responds better to the individual’s needs. We develop learning environments for the future – transforming the experience from one of mediocrity to one that engages and inspires – makes students want to learn and promotes ambition.

This is a great opportunity to support a worthwhile charity and have a fab day as well. Enjoy this fun format of competitive golf on Kuwait’s only 18-hole grass golf course before the hot summer begins.

Although there is slight hope for the endangered species being sold there due to new laws being implemented - whereby endangered animals will be confiscated and given to the Kuwait zoo. I have heard there is a new zoo to be built so they'll come in handy.

Some of the poor animals are still kept in dreadful conditions, many are sick or malnourished. It really should be shut down completely - unless dealers clean up there act and some stricter monitoring of the situation is in place. An outdoor market in summer selling furry animals is just cruel.

Why not an air-conditioned unit? Why not some rules on hygiene and animal welfare? Are there any rules or licences for sellers? There doesn't seem to be. Some animals are sold from the back of cars. I've heard of stories where animals bought from there have died soon after due to sickness.

Shouldn't the sellers be regularly checked that they're selling healthy animals? What about rabies, AIDS, bubonic plague, anthrax, avian flu, influenza, etc. Something you should might want to think about when you buy a cute pet monkey or multi-coloured chicks.

Can we stop this? It's worth a try. Start by choosing to 'like' on the FB page link below..

I thought this was an impossibility? Seems two Kuwaitis were fired from EQUATE and some MPs are gagging at the bit to get back to naming and blaming Ministers, specifically the Minister of Oil, for the absence of guarantees that protect Kuwaiti employees in the private sector.

Questions
1) If there's no cabinet, there's no government surely there are no MPs?
2) What's so wrong with firing an employee? It instills better work ethics in others.
3) If EQUATE Petrochemical Company is a private company then doesn't this matter lie with the Minister of Labour?

Not that I'm an expert in naming and blaming - seems a big waste of time to me.

EQUATE Petrochemical Company is Kuwait’s first international joint venture in the petrochemical sector.

Established in 1995 and started production in 1997.
EQUATE’s shareholders are:
Kuwait’s state-owned Petrochemical Industries Company (PIC) with 42.5%
The Dow Chemical Company (Dow) with 42.5%
Boubyan Petrochemical Company (BPC) with 9%
Qurain Petrochemical Industries Company with 6%
Kuwait’s 1st manufacturer of Ethylene, Polyethylene and Ethylene Glycol.

EQUATE is one of the founding members of Gulf Petrochemicals & Chemicals Association (GPCA).

In recognition of its sustainability achievements, EQUATE has earned several prestigious honors, including His Highness the Amir Award for the Best Plant in Kuwait ; the Gold Award in Health, Safety and Environment (HSE) for Gulf private sector companies; the Award for Best Gulf Company in Recruiting Nationals; as well as Kuwait’s CSR Award in the Industrial and Oil Sector. In addition, EQUATE has received the Highly Commended Best Community Program Award during the First Middle East CSR Award Summit.

LWDLIK- Hmmm.. Are there not way more important matters to be dealt with? Although I would like to see a precedent or change in the law that says no particular nationality is to be fired. It's silly and counter-productive. I would never go to work if I thought I'd never get fired.

I'm crossing my fingers and toes this morning for my daughter's team 'Failaka.' I think I'm a lot more worried than she is.

She says she's competing in the Noodle Race Mixed, Frog Relay Girls Race and the Bellyflop. All new to me, what happened to breaststroke and front crawl? :OD

I think she must have the Bellyflop wrong; I'm thinking the coach may have commented on her lack of finesse when diving and said ' You're doing a bellyflop' and my daughter probably thinks it's part of the competition?

Sunday, April 24, 2011

Thank you AWARE for a great day on Saturday. Was lovely to see the Japanese and other students having such a good time. We really enjoyed the tea ceremony, calligraphy and origami lesson. Was very touched by the Japanese Ambassador's speech and Abdulla Mudthafar's harrowing story of surviving the tsunami.

Young Chefs® Academy is a unique culinary experience which offers cooking classes to children in a safe environment that encourages discovery and creativity. Each visit to Young Chefs® Academy is a new experience with fresh monthly themes and exciting new programs. Students sharpen their skills by employing the mantra, "Mise en Place" which, in the cooking world, translates into "Everything in its place."

At Young Chefs® Academy, we take the fear, mystery and the unknown out of cooking. In addition, each class and event incorporates supplemental subject matter which ties into each theme. Our staff of highly qualified teachers, chefs and nutritional experts carry out our mission to provide an interactive learning experience that gives children the opportunity to develop a life-long love for the culinary arts.

In Kuwait they are located in Discovery Mall/Centre, next to The Ice Skating Rink, Al Soor Street, Kuwait City. Tel. 558-566-66. I am sure the kids are going to love it!

Friday, April 22, 2011

I know where my daughter has her ice cream obsession from ;O) So, her recent moment of complete madness is understandable.

She was being picked up from school and the car was about to move when Miss Vanilla and Chocolate Cornetto sprang out of the car and made a mad dash towards the devil himself...the ice cream man.

He knows my daughter by name and always says 'Hi xxxxxx' as she's leaving school, she knows all the prices and has tried most of the wares on offer. We managed to get it down to one a week on Thursdays. The evil man would even let her run a tab and pay him later.

The problem was - she had forgotten it was Thursday until she was in the car. She flew across the road and had a complete meltdown until she got an ice cream. When she got home she was in BIG trouble.

She knows that was a very, very dangerous thing to do, has promised it will never happen again and understands that the devil takes many forms :OD

Thursday, April 21, 2011

More than 80,000 people are claiming incapacity benefit for obesity and addiction to alcohol and drugs, Government figures have revealed.

Some 12,880 alcoholics and 9,200 drug addicts have been dependent on the payouts for more than 10 years.

Employment Minister Chris Grayling said the benefits system was responsible for trapping people in a "cycle of addiction and welfare dependency".

The figures show that 81,760 incapacity benefit (IB) claimants are not working because they are obese (1,830) or suffering from drug (37,480) or alcohol problems (42,360).

Some 660 obese people have been claiming IB for more than a decade.

Mr Grayling said: "It's not fair on anyone for this situation to continue.

"Far from being the safety net it should be, the benefits system has trapped thousands of people in a cycle of addiction and welfare dependency with no prospect of getting back to work.

"We are putting an end to this, we won't allow people to be left on benefits and forgotten about. That's why we have already started reassessing everyone on incapacity benefit and will support people with addictions to help them back into work."

There are currently 2.1 million on IB and the annual bill is £7bn. The benefit is paid at three weekly rates: £68.95 for the first 28 weeks, £81.60 from weeks 29 to 52 and £91.40 from week 53.

Existing claimants are currently going through reassessments to see whether they are fit to work or need help first from the Employment and Support Allowance (ESA).

Shadow work and pensions secretary Liam Byrne said the coalition's cuts were to blame.

He said: "It was Labour that changed the law to start testing people on incapacity benefit to see who was fit for work.

"But the real problem now is the Tories' decision to cut too far and too fast has meant that unemployment is set to increase every year - by up to 200,000 more people - helping push the benefits bill up by a massive £12 billion or £500 for every household in Britain.

"With five people now chasing every job, what we need to get people off benefits and paying tax is more jobs."

The figures, released by the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) are a snapshot of incapacity benefit claimants in August 2010.